Dr. Siana Nkya is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), with more than 15 years of research experience in molecular biology and human genetics. Her work focuses on applying genomics to disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring outcomes, with a strong emphasis on malaria and sickle cell disease (SCD).

She has led groundbreaking research in SCD genomics, including the establishment of one of Africa’s first large-scale genetic databases of over 1,700 SCD patients. This work has significantly advanced understanding of disease mechanisms, pharmacogenomics, and genetic variants in African populations. Dr. Nkya’s collaborations span leading international institutions such as King’s College London, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the University of Northumbria. She was also part of the pioneering team that launched Tanzania’s newborn screening program for SCD.

Her contributions to science have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Fogarty Global Health Fellowship (2016), the NIH Emerging Global Leader Award (K43, 2019–2024), the ASH Global Research Award (2018), the Novartis Global Health Investigator Award (2022–2024), and the OWSD Early Career Women Scientist Award, which supports her collaboration with the University of Oxford on novel DNA diagnostic technologies.

Beyond her academic and research achievements, Dr. Nkya co-founded the Tanzania Human Genetics Organization (THGO) in 2017 and serves as its first President. She also leads major research initiatives, including serving as Principal Investigator of the Tanzania Sickle Cell Program and as Co-Principal Investigator and Research Technical Lead of the SickleInAfrica Clinical Coordinating Centre, which coordinates SCD research across seven African countries.